


Someone Like Me

by penguin_bowtie



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-03 15:16:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10969923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguin_bowtie/pseuds/penguin_bowtie
Summary: "Momo swears she’s a decent human being. Well, she tries."Momo catches sight of Mina from across the window, and there is no turning back.





	1. Chapter 1

 

Momo swears she’s a decent human being.

Well, she _tries._

…That’s what she tells herself as she peers through the sliver of light between the curtains.

The window of her room faces the A building dorm directly, and the identical layouts of the buildings mean that her window –in the B building– is just a few meters away from another room’s window. Not that she had ever noticed how close the dorms were.

Until _she_ happened.

Momo really can’t take responsibility for that.

She had been quietly unpacking some books, her mind still foggy after a Sunday study session, when a loud sound had called her attention to the window. And time slowed down.

_A girl._

All dark hair and milky complexion. Lithe limbs going over her head, to show off patches of smooth skin tightening over a toned midriff. The light just before dusk contrasting perfectly against her body lines.

Momo’s jaw had gone slack.

Her mind had taken a while to process what what happening. The shirt had been completely removed and an exquisitely designed lace bra had come into her vision before Momo realised the girl was _undressing,_ delicate hands going over her jeans’ button, finally prompting Momo to close her curtains in haste, mind reeling and blushing cheeks.

A week’s gone by since the incident, and by now Momo knows that the girl is also a dance major but with a ballet focus. There’s no other way around the impeccably tight bun on her head and the pointe shoes dangling prettily from her shoulders every time Momo catches a glimpse.

[…] 

It’s not weird for Momo to get hit on when she’s in the club. She knows she looks good in the little black dress she has chosen for the night, wavy hair shining over her collarbones.

What is weird is that she has just passed on the, to quote Jungyeon, ‘hottest piece of ass in the club!’ Her short haired friend is looking at her as if she has sprouted another head, but Momo begs to differ. The _most gorgeous_ girl in the club is sitting right next to the bar. Wearing skintight jeans, a white cropped top and some fancy heels. Momo gulps as she watches the girl’s throat work against a choker and _wow,_ she didn’t even know she was into that kind of thing.

Jeongyeon is still running her mouth when Momo stares dazedly as a boy –who is also wearing a choker???– puts his arm around window girl. For some reason Momo’s heart drops.

She leaves early, Jeongyeon trailing behind her and just fuming the whole way until they arrive at the dorms. 

[…]

She doesn’t know why she feels so dejected. Window girl doesn’t even know she exists.

Momo doesn’t open her curtains that whole week.

[…]

Spring’s just around the corner. A flowerpot with a beautiful sunflower appears one day in Window girl’s window.

Momo spends a whole sunday morning staring at it dreamily, before Sana and her crazy arrive unannounced.

Sometimes she’ll catch a glimpse of window girl watering it with a gentle smile on her face. Momo’s heart skips a beat when once in a while the girl also sings a soft lullaby to it.

This crush is going to _end her._  

[…]

She finally spills all of these troublesome feelings to Jeongyeon, when her friend accuses her for the nth time of being more absentminded than it’s normally acceptable.

Jeongyeon, bullheaded Jeongyeon, offers no comfort and instead proposes Momo to stop being a chicken.

Momo wishes it was that easy.

“You could ask for her name! You obviously already know where to find her.”

“I don’t want to be a creep about it!”

“Because staring at her through your window certainly isn’t.”

Momo has to concede that point. 

[…] 

Momo is in class. Her hair in a topknot and tendrils of hair sticking sweatily to her neck. She is practicing a particularly hard sequence when she sees Window girl in the mirror’s reflection. She almost pulls a muscle.

The teacher claps his hands, signing for them to stop and Momo feels her throat closing. Her eyes staring straight into Window girl’s through the mirror. The girl interrupts their staring contest first, a pinkish color painting her cheeks and Momo can finally breathe.

“These freshmen are ballet majors,” the teacher booms, moving his hand graciously towards the small huddled group of kids, “They’re here to observe you for a little while,” a unified groan makes its way through the room and the group of freshmen stare at the ground as the sophomores complain under their breath, “None of that, guys. Now, back to practice!”

It’s been a while since Momo has felt this vulnerable and performance-shy, but once she starts going through the motions, her body falls into place automatically, and whatever felt wooden a moment ago, now flows. She feels the younger girl’s stare burning through her body and somehow it fires her up even more.

“Beautiful, Momo! The passion–That’s it!” The teacher voices and Momo drops to her knees in exhaustion. She raises her head, her eyes once again colliding with the dark haired girl’s. She is looking at her so intensely that Momo feels her neck flushing, the younger girl’s eyes wide and dark. It feels way too intimate for this moment to be happening in front of twelve other people and her contemporary dance teacher.

The younger girl lowers her eyes first, once again. And doesn’t make contact for the rest of the class.

Momo is strangely disappointed and relieved by this.

[…]

“MOMORIN!”

Momo drops her soda can with a yelp, and lets out a distressed gurgling noise when she recognises Sana’s voice.

“Oops, sorry about that,” Sana mentions apologetically, kneeling next to Momo and helping her clean up the now wet floor.

“When will you learn to knock,” Momo practically hisses, “I could’ve been changing!”

“I don’t mind,” Sana smirks back and Momo rolls her eyes good-naturedly, “When will you learn how to close your door?”

“Shut up. What are you doing here?”

Sana walks around the room for a bit and Momo eyes her warily from her place. Her blood goes cold once the other girl perches herself in her windowsill. She hasn’t seen Window girl during the whole day but the thought of Sana catching a glimpse makes her blood run cold, for some reason.

“I have a little bit of a favour to ask.”

Momo groans and Sana turns the power of her pout to the max as she approaches her, “It’s not for me!”

“That’s worse!”

“Hear me out, okay. A friend of mine, she needs some help with Dance Theater History and it might have slipped that I knew someone who had already passed the class,” Sana says quickly, rubbing both of her hands showily.

“I barely passed it myself!”

“Oh, please. Don’t be difficult.”

“Why are you so adamant I help this girl?” Momo asks, crossing her arms over her torso.

“Come on, she’s a cute underclassman. I just want to help.”

“What?” Momo raises her hands in the air, Sana is just asking for her help so she can get into a freshman’s pants? “I thought you were into that Music Major? The piano performance one?”

“Oh, yes,” Sana huffs, “Dahyun is still playing hard to get, but someday…” She trails off with a frown and Momo just stares at her flatly.

“Then, this new girl?”

“Oh no! No no no, I’m not trying to butter her up or anything, we’ve been friends since I was in Osaka.”

[…] 

Momo is in the coffeeshop, sipping a vanilla latte and waiting for Sana to arrive. She’s exhausted, she can feel her eye bags all the way down to her chin, her energy just drained after a particularly gruesome practice. She scratches her forehead tiredly, her hair is tied over her head in something resembling a palm tree and it might be giving her a headache. Sana is going to owe her _so much_.

“Hey there!”

It’s Sana’s voice, and Momo almost drops her coffee when she turns around. _Maybe not._

“Window girl!”

“Window girl!”

It’s said in unison with the younger girl and Momo freezes, cupping her mouth with both hands.

Sana looks curiously between them, “Um, you know each other?”

Window girl shakes her head vigorously and Momo also denies.

“Oh well, Mina join Momo, I’ll get us some coffee.”

The younger girl looks a bit like a deer caught in headlights, but she is as gorgeous up close as she is from far away. She is wearing her hair loose this time, and a dark blue coat over some jeans and a white button down. Ugh, of course, she looks immaculate the day Momo decided to impersonate a hobo.

“Um, hello. My name is Momo.”

“I’m Mina. Nice to meet you,” the younger girl answers and Momo falls for her voice completely. It’s soft and feminine, but there is something dark about it? Momo doesn’t know how to explain, everything about the girl is fascinating to her. She’s this close to bashing her head onto the nearest wall.

[…] 

After Sana introduced them at the coffee shop, they have made a couple of appointments alone, to discuss the difficulties Mina is having with the course. To be quite honest Momo doesn’t think Mina has any troubles with the material per se, she’s just kind of a perfectionist and this seems like an effort at trying to get the best grasp she can of the lectures, more than passing the class. Momo has left her curtains mostly closed during this period, there is something that feels weird about talking face to face with Mina now, and the way she would picture her from her window, when she didn’t even know her name. Even if she doesn’t really make an effort to watch the girl in her dorm, even catching a glimpse of her when they’re not studying feels wrong. 

[…] 

They’re getting to know little things about each other whenever they get together and Mina, shy, soft-spoken Mina makes Momo’s stomach explode with warmth each time.

It’s strange how Mina was this perfect rich girl in her mind, when she just knew her from a window, way too far to even be able to hear her voice. Now, she has a name to go with the image, and every time they share something, Mina acquires a different dimension. It feels like watching a drawing come to life.

Momo realises Mina is far from perfect.

And it makes her fall even deeper. 

[…] 

“It’s hot! Who cares if Window girl catches you, you two know each other now!”

Jeongyeon is huffing and sweating _and complaining_ for the fifth time about the closed window situation in her friend’s room, and Momo eyes her reproachfully.

“No one told you to come here, okay? It just feels wrong! Like I’m invading her privacy or something.”

“Oh, because it wasn’t invading her privacy when you stalked her without knowing her name,” Jeongyeon points flatly and Momo deflates a little bit.

“I wasn’t stalking her.”

“Sure not. If it helps you sleep.”

“Shut up, you jerk. I never meant to stalk her, okay? She just…I mean–She seemed like someone I would never cross paths with, and,” Momo gulps, feeling guilty, “I didn’t want to invade her privacy, I just,” She tries to explain, moving her hands around wildly, “seeing her made me happy,” she finishes quietly and Jeongyeon stares at her curiously from her seat on the floor.

“You’re still crushing on her?”

Momo puffs her cheeks and answers with a small, “Maybe.”

“Oh boy.” 

[…]

“Hey.”

“Hello there,” Mina replies good-naturedly and Momo melts a little in her seat.

They are going over Mina’s notes of this week when the younger girl suddenly goes quiet. Momo peers at her curiously from behind the rim of her mug, “What is it?”

Mina seems a bit reluctant to share what she is thinking, “I’ve been thinking…do you remember the first time we met?” She asks finally and Momo thinks she might’ve gone a little pale.

“Sure, with Sana.”

“Yes. You called me _window girl_ at the time, why was that?”

Momo’s stomach is just heavy with the implications of telling Mina of the first time she saw her. Until she remembers that she was just as perplexed about the event at the time. She raises her eyebrows as the memory comes back.

“You called me that as well.”

Mina avoids her eyes to stare at the ground, “I don’t want you to hate me,” She says, barely audible and Momo’s eyebrows shoot up to her hairline.

“What do you mean? Why would I hate you?”

“Um, our dorms. Our rooms, the windows–“

“They face each other,” Momo ends up for her and Mina looks at her with wide startled eyes.

“So that’s why…–you already knew,” the younger girl states softly and bites her lip, cheeks flushed a pretty pink and Momo feels her crush hit her straight in the chest, all over again.

“I did know,” Momo says to give Mina some peace of mind, might as well come clean, “I’ve seen you, I mean I had seen you before, way before Sana introduced us, way before you attended one of my classes.”

“I am _so sorry_ ,” Mina puts her hands over her eyes and Momo is confused as to why the girl looks so apologetic and embarrassed, when the pieces finally click.

“You were watching me as well,” Momo murmurs with wide eyes and Mina frowns, “as…well?”

“I––I would catch glimpses of you…and before I noticed, I just…you know not in a creepy way, but–” Momo swallows, her words come out jumbled and she is sure she is making a fool out of herself, “I would watch you sometimes.”

Mina blinks rapidly at the information Momo is offering, “Are you okay?”

Mina nods her head but her eyebrows firmly into a frown. She gives Momo an apologetic look, “I, um, I’ve some things to attend to. I’ll call you?”

Momo tries not to look too dejected and forces a smile, “Sure.”

[…] 

They’ve been bumping into each other everywhere.

Momo tries not to disturb the younger girl, giving her a curt nod at most and letting her get on with her way. Even if she’s a little bit hurt by the way things have turned out she doesn’t want to impose on Mina. In the end the girl doesn’t owe her anything.

Momo doesn’t notice the way Mina’s eyes widen with surprise the first time it happens, and then in disappointment every time the older girl brushes her presence off.

[…] 

Three weeks go by before Mina’s name appears into Momo’s caller ID again. Momo stares at the screen stunned, hands suddenly shaky as she picks up her cellphone.

“He–Hello?”

“Momo?”

“Yes.”

“Are you free today?”

“Um, like right now?”

“Just whenever.”

“Oh well…”

“Can I see you in an hour, at the coffeeshop?”

Mina is being uncharacteristically pushy. Momo sighs, debating in her head if this is the proper way to get rid of her crush. _Of course not_ , but she is weak, and she really wants to see Mina up-close again, and hear her lovely voice. Ugh, “Sure.” 

[…] 

Momo is already nursing a coffee when Mina _storms_ into the coffeeshop. The younger girl is wearing a dark sweater, tucked into white jeans, and that’s all Momo gathers before her eyes clash with Mina’s. The expression on her face is determined and Momo is a bit taken back by the seriousness of it.

“Hel-“

“Why have you been avoiding me?” Mina asks as she sits across Momo, her lips on a stern line.

“Eh?” Momo doesn’t quite know what is going on, but it seems like she’s in trouble.

“You’ve been avoiding me. Why?” Mina repeats sullenly, and Momo can see the younger girl’s eyes go a little watery, as if she has bottled this words for a while now.

_Oh. No, no, no._ Mina looks like Momo has just kicked her puppy and she is unable to understand how they got from hello –not even hello, really– to this.

“Mina, breathe. What’s going on, I don’t understand.”

Mina looks a bit offended by this notion and Momo wonders in her head why can’t she seem to say whatever the younger girl is expecting from her.

“Don’t–I–. We’ve bumped into each other countless times these past few weeks! You’ve been ignoring me! What do you mean you don’t understand!”

Mina’s voice raises a little and Momo can feel the tension in every single limb of her body, “Mina, no. I haven’t been ignoring you–“

“You won’t even look at me…”

Mina’s voice sounds so defeated that Momo feels her own eyes welling up.

“You’re upset over the window thing, aren’t you…” Mina continues in the saddest voice ever and Momo’s heart clenches.

“Mina, I was not ignoring you. I thought that _you_ were upset over the stupid windows and…I wanted to give you space!”

The younger girl is watching Momo shyly through her eyelashes, but she seems more calm and Momo winds down a bit when she notices this.

“Don’t,” Mina says in a small voice and Momo curses her dumb head because she has been a couple few steps back during the whole conversation.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t give me space,” Mina’s cheeks are blushing furiously and Momo wants to squeal like a little girl. She doesn’t. She must preserve whatever little dignity she has in front of this beautiful, sensitive, ridiculous girl in front of her, “I want you…closer.”

It sounds like the dirtiest thing ever to Momo and it makes her go lightheaded instantly. She feels herself matching Mina’s blush at an alarming rate.

“Is that clear?”

Momo can only nod dumbly as Mina looks at her tenderly before taking her things and leaving the coffeeshop.

[…]

That is the exact way Sana finds Momo, floundering like a fish off the water.

And then Momo tells her the whole story, bumbling like a shy schoolgirl while Sana’s face lights up in soft smiles and small squeals, making heart eyes when she finally gets to Mina telling Momo she wanted her _closer –_ Momo’s own hands shrivelling up as she recounts the event.–

“She totally confessed!” Sana exclaims happily.

“Right!?” Momo can’t be reading this wrongly, _right?!?!_

“Ooh ho. Who knew Mina could be this straight forward?”

“I wouldn’t call this whole month of suffering straight forward,” Momo comments with flat eyes and Sana laughs lightly.

“I wonder why she didn’t tell me about this,” Sana mutters and Momo freezes in place, the memory of that time at the club coming back subtly as a brick to her mind.

“Um, Sana, how well do you know Mina?”

“Minari? Pretty well,” Sana catches the disappointed look in Momo’s eyes and is quick to reassure her, “Don’t fret over it Momo, Mina is a very sensitive soul, you know? So she’s really reserved…she’s the type to kind of bottle everything up and then just explode in tears or something,” she explains lightly, “not very healthy, but what can you do,” she adds as an afterthought.

“I just, I bumped into her a while ago at the club over in XX Street.”

“Woah, really?” Sana frowns this time, “Is she leading a double life I know nothing about?”

“Sana, focus.”

“Right.”

“She was there with…a boy.” Momo says ominously.

“Um, and?”

“Well, you know, he had his arm around her. They looked very close.”

“I’m not following,” Sana states flatly and Momo feels like strangling her.

“Was that her _boyfriend_ , Sana.”

“Um, Mina’s not much into boys…she hasn’t introduced a boyfriend to me, like ever.”

It’s not too reassuring, but Momo will take it over this headache that is speaking with Sana sometimes. 

[…] 

“Momo unnie,”

Momo stares up at Mina, they are getting coffee together, for the first time since the last encounter and Momo’s stomach is a wreck. The only thing going through her mind is _closer closer closer,_ however Mina has been acting…normal. Like she didn’t confess anything to Momo the last time they saw each other, and the whiplash makes Momo dizzy.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Momo answers half heartedly.

“Are you sure? You look a bit pale.”

“Maybe I am a bit dizzy, Mina. Would you mind if I headed to the dorm right now?” Momo can’t help but feel a little blue over this whole push and pull thing they have going on. It confuses her. Does Mina really want her in any capacity? Just a friendship? _Ugh._

Momo stands up and gives Mina a soft smile. The younger girl looks confused but lets her go, no questions asked. 

[…]

She walks back to the dorm, feeling strangely melancholic as the breeze caresses her hair. She wonders why she feels so stumped over the whole situation with Mina. Why is she so weak over a girl she has known for barely a few months. Why does every little thing they do together weight so much in her mind.

Why the only thing she has so far are questions and no answers…she sighs deeply.

“Eeey!”

A brusque arm goes over her shoulders and Momo looks annoyed at her captor. Jeongyeon.

“Why are you looking like a lovesick puppy out here? It’s disgusting,” Jeongyeon states in a cheerfully loud voice.

“I’m not looking like anything.”

“Oh, please. That wistful look while the wind sweeps your hair…that kinda thing doesn’t suit you, you know!” Jeongyeon knuckles the top of her head to assert her point and Momo groans loudly.

“Let me go!”

Jeongyeon raises her hands in defeat, smiling all the while.

“So,” Jeongyeon smiles softly now, and she has a expression Momo hasn’t seen on her face before…is it something like _understanding?_

“Ew, Jeongyeon, don’t look at me like that, it’s weird!”

“Come on, Momo. I’m trying to be _sensitive~”_

_“_ Don’t mock me okay, now is not the time,” Momo replies genuinely annoyed, and she doesn’t know why she feels so resentful towards Jeongyeon. Their friendship has been built on banter but Momo feels a bit _hurt?_ by it right now. _What is happening?_

Jeongyeon looks at her curiously, “Are you alright?”

“I’m sorry, Jeong. It feels like I’m going through puberty all over again,” Momo sighs and Jeongyeon laughs lightly.

“I don’t think that’s it.”

“What do you mean?”

A gust of cold air sweeps by again, dramatically and Jeongyeon rolls her eyes, “Stupid weather,” she comments before looking straight into Momo’s eyes, “I think you’re in love.” 

[…] 

It’s not another hour before Momo arrives to her room, after she decidedly chased Jeongyeon all over campus to teach her a lesson not to mess with her best friend.

_“I think you’re in love.”_

Stupid Jeongyeon. Momo sighs tiredly before reaching for the curtain on her window and opening it.

Her eyes go wide.

_Feel better <3 _

The message is drawn over Mina’s window in white ink. It’s been written with a mirror like effect, so it would read correctly from outside Mina’s room and Momo thinks her heart stops for a bit.

_I think you’re in love._

Momo’s heart clenches painfully in her chest and she blinks rapidly.

_I think I am in love._

 

_–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––_

_A/N: Hey guys, it's been a while! Um, to all of those who were reading "Precious Love" I'm so sorry! Life happened and then I couldn't figure out how to write what I wanted and...well, I'm still struggling with it, I have bits and pieces from different chapters written so ugh. Don't lose faith._

_On the other hand here it is a brand new Momo/Mina story! Yay!  This one will be a two shot, so despair not! I'm already writing the second part and hopefully it'll be up by the end of the week and no later. I promise –cross your fingers everyone–. That's about it! Let me know if you like it and all that good stuff and we'll be seeing each other soon enough!_


	2. Chapter 2

Momo’s heart clenches painfully in her chest and she blinks rapidly.

_I think I am in love._

_[…]_

It’s a rush to admit it like that, even if it isn’t out loud, even if it’s only in her head.

It’s refreshing to put a name to what she’s feeling, and whilst the name it’s scary and it seems like her heart will burst out of her throat, she feels a bit freer with the knowledge.

_She’s in love._

_She’s in love with Myoui Mina._

[…]

_“Unnie,” Mina is splayed over Momo’s bed, looking at her through half-lidded eyes, mouth a bit swollen, pouty._

_Momo reaches her hand out, straddling the girl’s body. She lays over the younger girl, leaving a kiss on her forehead, tracing the delicate bridge of her nose with her lips, giving a little nip when she finally reaches Mina’s upper lip._

_“Mina,” Momo murmurs softly against Mina’s half open mouth, her hands now tracing the tendon on Mina’s neck, the slope of her right collarbone, “I love you.”_

Momo wakes up sweating and disoriented.

She remembers the dream vividly. Who knew love would turn her into a pervert? She lets herself fall face first into her pillow.

The clock reads 03.00am and Momo stands up, too excited to try to sleep right away –she’s honestly scared of what images she can conjure in her mind about the innocent object of her affections,– and boils water to make some tea.

She carries the cup gingerly to the windowsill, and opens her window, perching herself on the edge.

She almost burns her thighs off when she catches Mina sitting, on her own window, looking owlishly back at her.

“Mina, Jesus Christ!” She hisses as silently as possible and Mina hides her mouth with her hands, she’s trembling a bit and Momo suspects it’s with laughter.

Mina is beautiful alright, but at three in the morning, looking at her with beady eyes, Momo feels justified thinking she looked a bit like an angel of death. Her hand is still covering her heart when Mina speaks,

“What are you doing at this hour, _unnie?”_

It triggers all kind of thoughts in Momo’s mind…how nicely Mina’s soft voice carries against the silent campus, even from meters away Momo can hear her perfectly, and also…the _dream._ How shameful.

Momo looks at her hands once she is over the shock, and remembers she shouldn’t even be able to face the younger girl right now.

“Unnie?”

Momo grits her teeth, staring into her mug as if it is the most interesting object in the world, “Um, I had a dream.”

“A nightmare?” Mina clarifies, and Momo shakes her head no, raising it a bit to look into Mina’s eyes.

“Definitely not a nightmare.”

Mina smiles softly, “How nice.”

They are interrupted by someone harshly knocking against a neighbouring window, and Momo eyes her surroundings in annoyance. Mina on the other hand is snickering into her hands, and Momo can’t help the smile that takes over her face.

Mina waves at her, mouthing ‘bye’ and Momo nods her head in response.

[…]

She’s at the cafeteria, making nice with the lady currently serving Jjajangmyun into her bowl when she hears kissing noises behind her back. She turns around to find Sana and Jeongyeon, and can’t help but roll her eyes. There’s a brief moment, after she receives her tray back, when she scans the surrounding tables looking for a familiar face, somehow paranoid that Mina will realise everything if she hears the dumb duo making strange noises.

“She’s not here,” Sana grins.

“Who are you talking about?” Momo answers nonchalantly and Sana scoffs.

“Please, Momo. Also, ballet majors are super diligent over their nutrition, Mina wouldn’t be caught dead in this place.”

Momo doesn’t know exactly why she feels offended by the comment, but it’s all good once she slurps her first portion of noodles.

“So,” Jeongyeon adds, separating her chopsticks with her teeth as Sana looks on, horrified.

“Manners,” she mutters, but is promptly ignored by the short-haired girl.

“Have you asked her to be your girlfriend yet?”

Momo looks down into her bowl and Jeongyeong raises her eyebrows, Sana shakes her head, “She has not.”

“How do _you_ know?” Jeongyeon challenges.

“I know everything there is to know about Minari,” she answers simply and Momo stares at her blankly, remembering their past conversations.

“I don’t think you know what ‘everything’ entails.”

“Why haven’t you?” Jeongyeon presses on and Momo throws her a dirty look.

“Why do I _have to?”_

Jeongyeon splutters, “Well, you like her like that! Right?”

Jeongyeon, who charges through everything in life would’t understand, Momo thinks. Wouldn’t understand how even if they’re not _together_ together, Momo is having the time of her life. It’s not that Momo is scared to ask –she’s _terrified–_ she’s just waiting for the right time to move things along.

[…]

Scratch that. Momo needs to move forward and she needs to do it _now_. Stupid Jeongyeon.

She realises this when the Modern Dance majors are scheduled to pay a visit to the Ballet first-years.

It puzzles her a bit that they have been called to watch the freshman class specifically. But she doesn’t think anything of it until the thought of Mina hits her straight in the face. Figuratively, of course –nothing about Mina really hits her _straight.–_  

After that moment of lucidity, that’s all she can think about.

The ballet studio isn’t new to Momo, as part of her Modern Dance program she has her fair share of ballet courses, but there is something about it, as she catches a glimpse of a couple young-looking ballet freshmen, that feels novel. The energy is different, there is a tension in the air that keeps Momo and her classmates frozen in place.

Mina’s neck stretches elegantly under her up-do, she’s in a sleek black leotard paired with pale pink tights and leg-warmers. It’s not the first time that Momo realises how attractive the ballet outfit is, it’s such a whimsical little thing but Mina really shines in it. The younger girl looks – _feels–_ different, delicate as usual but there is a glint to her eye that is domineering, confident.

Momo is sure she has been staring with her mouth half open.

The ballet freshmen are _fierce._ Just a dozen or so have been accepted this year, but their presence overwhelms the space. Momo’s eyes are working overtime over flexing tendons, strong looking calves and graceful arms. She catches Mina’s eyes briefly, and her whole body flushes instantly.

“Mina, Jimin,” the teacher calls authoritatively, her voice echoing strongly against the tall ceiling, and the whole class starts pairing up.

Momo blinks rapidly. _Jimin._ It’s the boy, the one that was wearing a choker back in the club.

Momo can’t even feel jealousy as they start moving.

It’s _beautiful._

Jimin’s hands close over Mina’s waist in a delicate gesture, hold strong, and Mina’s back arches in a beautiful line, her neck going back, following her spine’s movement. Her jawline is prominent in that angle and her body is all flowing lines and defined muscles against tight material.

Momo feels dizzy.

She wants to go forward, she wants to move closer. She _wants._

[…]

They are strolling through the campus’ park, a couple of hours after Mina’s ballet practice. Momo cuddles her to go cup of tea between cold fingers and Mina eyes her curiously.

“Are you still feeling a little sick?” Mina asks softly, eyebrows frowning in concern.

“Nope. I’m okay.”

“Did something happen in class?”

“What do you mean?”

Mina stops, making Momo pause as well, and leads her to a nearby bench so they can sit, “You’ve been a bit quiet.”

“Really?” Momo acts as if this is new information, but she knows fully well she has been somewhat cold since they met after her last class. She has been engrossed in whatever it was she felt watching Mina perform, just trying to process the sudden rush of possessiveness that took over her. She has never wanted another person so much, and it’s embarrassing…and scary.

Momo steals a look at Mina and gives her a reassuring smile, “I’m sorry,” she opts for honesty, “I’ve been replaying your ballet practice in my head the whole day.”

It is said innocently but Mina goes red up to her ears at the comment, and Momo blinks confusedly, “What?”

“Just. Um, what did you think of it?”

“You’re breathtaking,” Momo answers, and it’s simple, as if she’s stating that the sky is blue. A gasp leaves Mina’s mouth.

The younger girl is staring at her own hands, avoiding eye contact, and Momo wonders if her comment could have weirded her out. She keeps talking, in hopes of clearing the air, “The pairing dance was…something else. The chemistry between you two is no joke.”

“It’s not like that,” Mina interjects and Momo is confused, _as usual_.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not like that, between Jimin and I,” Mina says petulantly.

“Not like what?” Momo tilts her head.

Mina seems to contemplate something for a moment, a studious look on her eye. She closes the distance between them, scooting her way closer to Momo, until their thighs are touching.

Mina stares into Momo’s eyes, and Momo is dumbfounded by the shy look on her face.

“Not like you and I.”

Momo feels the air leave her chest all at once.

Before she can even realise it, her hands have raised, cupping Mina’s face and colliding softly against a pliable mouth. At first it’s just a peck, lips sliding gently against each other as Mina responds. Then, Momo gets greedy, she can’t help it after Mina whines into her mouth. She hardens her hold on Mina’s head just enough so she can take Mina’s lower lip against hers and scrapes it with her teeth as she lets go.

When she opens her eyes Mina is looking at her, flushed and wide eyed, and for a moment Momo wonders if she crossed a line she shouldn’t have.

“You need to take me on a date,” Mina says, out of breath and eyes shining cheekily.

Momo can’t help the wide toothy smile that breaks into her face, “Anything you want.”

[…]

“ _WHAAAAT?_ ”

“Woah, it’s been a while since I’ve heard someone speak in japanese,” Momo comments while Sana keeps on squealing.

“That is very unusual,” Jeongyeon nods, “considering you mostly hang out with Mina and Sana.”

“I do have other friends,” Momo defends.

“None that–“

“STOOP!” Sana interrupts, hands moving frantically.

“What, Sana?”

“What? _WHAT?_ Didn’t you just hear Momo, Jeongyeon? She kissed Mina, my sweet, _innocent_ Minari yesterday!”

“Um, yeah. I did hear. Oh, right,” she offers her fist and Momo promptly bumps it with her own, “Good job, dude.”

Momo beams back and Sana rolls her eyes, “This is very suspicious,” she adds, “Mina hasn’t said a word to me about this, and we just talked a while ago,” then her eyes lower barely into slits, “she did seem oddly giggly and bouncy.”

“Really?”

Sana nods, pouting, “I’ll have to revoke her friendship permit!”

“I think she revoked yours first,” Jeongyeon snickers.

While the pair bickers, Momo throws herself on Sana’s bed. She imagines a cutely flustered Mina, smile firmly in place.

[…]

It’s becoming a thing for the two now, to glimpse into each other’s window and shoot a quick hello or something.

Momo is actually setting up netflix on her laptop, when a faint ‘Momorin!’ reaches her ears. She looks outside the window and, sure enough, Mina is there, all smily eyes while her hands hold onto a takeout bag.

“Hungry?” Mina mouths and Momo nods rapidly.

She isn’t really hungry, but one, she has never passed up on free food and two, she wouldn’t miss an opportunity to spend time with the ballet major.

She makes her way to Mina’s bedroom, laptop secured under her arm. She is climbing the stairs when she realises she might be a little nervous. Even though she has kind of seen Mina’s bedroom –from the window– she has never been to it, and it makes her heart speed up to think about them alone in the space.

The door is open when Momo gets there and she makes her way inside saying “ _Ojamashimasu_ ( _sorry for intruding)_ ,” quietly.

“Oh,” Mina is all smiles, “I haven’t heard someone speak japanese in a while.”

“Is it weird?”

“What do you mean?” Mina giggles, “We are japanese after all.”

“I know. But we have always spoken in korean…and since we met here and everything,” Momo shrugs.

“It sounds different,” Mina adds pensively, “Your voice…it sounds different.”

Momo raises her eyebrows and Mina smiles quietly, “It sounds cute. Cuter.”

Momo coughs to avoid the smile she knows its making its way to her face, “Your room…is really pretty.”

Its layout is a mirror of Momo’s own room, but it looks completely different. Mina’s room is all whites and light greys but the little details all over it –the pink pointe shoes hanging by the mirror, the white flowerpot with its sunflower, the jasmine scent that pervades it– make it girlish.

It’s so completely Mina. Momo grins.

[…]

Momo stares at the pieces of jokbal in one of the take out boxes. The image clashes terribly with Mina’s room, and she looks up with wide eyes, “How did you know?”

Mina who is setting up Netflix on Momo’s laptop, answers distractedly, “Um?”

“Jokbal. How did you know I liked it?”

That makes Mina look back and Momo can see the pink adorning her face, “I got lucky?”

Momo tilts her head and blinks suspiciously at the younger girl.

“I asked Sana,” Mina confesses in a cute voice and Momo grins toothily. It is all kinds of heart warming to think that Mina went through the trouble of asking a friend what she liked to eat, so she could cater to Momo, “Stop that,” Mina says quietly.

“Stop what?” Momo answers innocently.

“Ugh,” Mina covers her face with her hands, “Don’t look at me like that.”

“You’re so cute,” Momo charges right into Mina’s space, taking her hands into her own and leaving kisses all over Mina’s face while the younger girl whines, batting Momo’s hands away.

[…]

They date. They date and it’s strange to Momo, because she feels so comfortable around Mina by now, that it seems like they’ve been dating for months, and then every time they go out it also feels new. She’ll learn something she didn’t know about Mina or the girl will do something totally unexpected and Momo will fall in deeper in her head. She’s so screwed.

It’s scary, that they’re not even girlfriends yet, but Mina can already break her. It’s also exciting, everytime Mina doesn’t break her heart it just grows bigger.

Everything about Mina is like that, Momo thinks. Contrasting.

[…]

Momo is _haunted_ by her inability to say the words that have been stuck into her throat since the very beginning.

Mina still seems playful and comfortable with their relationship, and Momo can’t help but wonder if this is enough for the younger girl, if she’ll scare her away once she utters bigger words.

“What did I tell you the last time?” Jeongyeon asks distractedly, cleaning her french horn while Momo sulks in the floor of her friend’s room.

“What? I don’t remember,” Momo mumbles against her knees.

“To stop being a chicken.”

Momo eyes her with resentment. It has exactly no effect, Jeongyeon isn’t even looking at her, “I’m not a chicken. Just, I’m being cautious.”

“Cautious about what? You have been making heart-eyes at each other for the better part of the year now.”

“Do you think she loves meeh~?” Momo whines and Jeongyeon rolls her eyes.

“I’m calling Sana. I can’t deal,” The short haired girl mutters under her breath as she reaches for her phone.

[…]

Sana is looking around helplessly as Momo makes snow angels against Jeongyeon’s floor.

“She finally broke,” Jeongyeon comments. She is now polishing the horn and completely ignoring Momo’s antics.

“What happened?” Sana asks and Momo looks at her with wide, soft eyes.

“Do you think…that Mina will get scared if I tell her I…that I…”

“That you what?” Sana exclaims, losing a bit of her patience.

“That I love her?”

Sana blinks repeatedly, a blank look on her face and Momo stares back at her in the same way. At the sudden silence, Jeongyeon looks up from the horn, “Guys?”

“Shh!” Sana shushes aggressively and Jeongyeon stares back with a frown, “You… _love_ Mina?”

Momo sighs heavily, nodding as she lays down on the floor once again.

“You haven’t even asked her to be your girlfriend,” Sana argues.

“I’m a chicken.” Momo concludes while Jeongyeon shrugs in the back.

[…]

They are in Momo’s room, laying comfortably on the bed when Mina raises her head up from Momo’s chest, toying a bit with the hem of the older girl’s sweater, “Momo?”

Momo is kind of half-sleep, and Mina softly traces the underside of her jaw with the bridge of her nose, “Momo?” the girl repeats, just a whisper and Momo hums softly in acknowledgement.

Mina plants soft kisses over the tendon in Momo’s neck and rests her head against her collarbones, Momo holding her just a bit more strongly against her body.

“ _Dai suki da yo_ _(I love you.)_ ” It is said so quietly, and muffled against her neck that Momo has to wait a few seconds to let it sink in, and then she completely freezes. Mina is still mouthing at her neck and Momo might just pass out.

She rolls them around and straddles Mina quickly, feeling words just bubbling in her throat.

“What did you just say?”

Mina is looking up at her with wide, innocent eyes, as if she just didn’t give Momo an aneurysm.

“Mina, please.”

“I, um… _Momo, dai suki da yo.”_ She repeats and Momo closes her eyes in relief, heart beating so fast, Mina is probably able to hear it.

Momo lowers against Mina’s body, her mouth closing heatedly over Mina’s.

“Be mine?” Momo pleads, resting her forehead against the younger girl.

She watches as a smile widens on Mina’s face, “I guess,” Mina answers with a sigh.

“You guess?!” Momo asks offended and Mina giggles underneath her, “Where else would you find someone like me?” Momo argues, fingers tickling lightly under Mina’s sweater.

Mina is thrashing a bit under the teasing, “Someone like you?” She asks, hitting Momo’s hands away, out of breath.

"Yeah," Momo answers quietly, interlacing their fingers, “Someone that loves you like I do.”

They stare into each other's eyes quietly for a while, and Mina laughs cutely when Momo smiles winningly at her.

"Nowhere."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit late, right?
> 
> Sorry guys, I hope it was worth the delay. I wanted to post it as soon as I could so it didn't give me much time to edit it, I'll probably come back later to check the whole thing. But whooee, finally done!
> 
> Did you like it? Yes, No? Let me know what you think! And we'll see each other...soon-ish? Haha, have a great day, guys!


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